Pothos yellow leaves: causes and what to change

Yellow leaves on a pothos usually come from watering too often or from too little light, and an old leaf near the base turning yellow now and then is normal. How many leaves are yellow, where they are and how the soil feels narrow it down.

What does it look like?

One or two of the oldest leaves, low on the vine, turn yellow and drop while the rest looks fine: normal ageing.
Several leaves yellow at once, soft or limp, with soil that stays wet for days: too much water or a pot without drainage.
Pale, washed-out leaves and long gaps between them, with less marbling on variegated types: too little light.
Yellow leaves with crisp brown edges and soil pulling away from the pot: the plant dried out completely.

Why does it happen?

Watering on a schedule instead of when the top of the soil is dry, or a decorative pot that holds water.
A spot far from a window, where the plant lives on reserves and sheds leaves it cannot feed.
Long gaps between waterings that let the soil dry out fully.
Months without feeding in a small pot, so the plant takes nitrogen from its older leaves.

What can you do about it?

Push a finger into the soil. Water only when the top few centimetres are dry, then water until it runs out of the drainage holes and empty the saucer.
If the soil is wet and smells sour, slide the plant out and look at the roots: white and firm is fine, brown and mushy is root rot (see overwatering and root rot).
Move the plant to bright, indirect light, within a couple of metres of a window but out of the midday sun.
Feed with a balanced houseplant fertiliser at the label rate in spring and summer, and not at all in winter.
Take off fully yellow leaves at the stem with clean scissors; they will not turn green again. Judge progress by the new leaves.

When you photograph a plant with this problem, Leafsight gives an assessment that names the likely problem, how serious it looks and how sure it is. Your first assessment that finds a problem includes care steps like these; with Pro or a one-time unlock, every one does.

When should you look closer?

Yellow leaves together with a soft, dark stem base or a bad smell from the soil: root rot.
Fine webbing, sticky leaves or small bumps on the stems: look for pests (spider mites, mealybugs, scale).
Yellow patches with dark rims that spread from leaf to leaf: possibly a leaf spot disease.

Questions

Why is my pothos turning yellow?

A pothos turns yellow most often because it is watered too often, so the roots sit in wet soil, or because it gets too little light. An old leaf low on the vine going yellow now and then is normal. Many soft yellow leaves with wet soil point to overwatering; pale leaves on long bare stems point to low light; crisp yellow edges with dry soil point to a plant that dried out.

Should I cut yellow leaves off my pothos?

Yes, once a leaf is fully yellow. It will not turn green again, and the plant drops it anyway. Cut it at the stem with clean scissors. A leaf that is only partly yellow can stay while you fix the cause, usually watering or light. Then watch the new growth: fresh green leaves of a normal size mean the change is working.

Is my pothos overwatered or underwatered?

Feel the soil and look at the leaves. Overwatered pothos have soft, limp yellow leaves and soil that stays wet for days, sometimes with a sour smell; the roots may be brown and mushy. Underwatered pothos have yellow leaves with crisp brown edges, drooping vines and dry, light soil that pulls away from the pot. The pot also feels much lighter when the soil is dry.

Can yellow pothos leaves turn green again?

No. Once a pothos leaf has turned fully yellow, the green pigment is gone and the leaf will not recover, even after the cause is fixed. The plant usually drops it. What does change is the new growth: once watering and light suit the plant, new leaves come in green and full-sized, and the yellowing stops spreading to other leaves.

Is a pothos poisonous to cats or dogs?

This guide covers what the leaves are telling you, not whether a plant is harmful to animals. Look up pothos in the ASPCA Animal Poison Control plant list, and if a cat or dog has chewed one and seems unwell, call your vet or an animal poison control line. Placing the pot where pets can't reach it is a common choice.

Not sure? Check with a photo

Leafsight looks at a photo of the leaf, asks a few questions about light, watering and drainage, and gives an assessment of the likely problem with care steps. A photo assessment can be wrong: for a hands-on look, ask a local garden centre or plant clinic.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-04. All plant problems.

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